皮肤
pífū · HSK 5
skin
🧴 皮肤 = pí (skin/leather) + fū (skin) — doubled-up word for skin
Both characters mean skin: 皮 is the outer hide or peel (also used for leather), and 肤 is the body's skin specifically. Stacking them gives the standard modern word for human skin.
皮 — hand 又 stripping hide off animal
皮 is a pictograph showing a hand (又) peeling the skin or hide off an animal carcass. The original meaning was 'animal hide' or 'to flay,' which broadened over time to mean skin, leather, or any outer covering or surface.